Full Circle
by luna-saviour6
Summary: After waking from their slumber, Sora resumes his travels with Donald and Goofy at his side with the aim of stopping Organization XIII, just as Sairu and King Mickey search for the missing Ansem the Wise and their friend Riku. OC x Kairi, OC x OC, and as usual, this is NOT for profit, and I only own my OCs, not SE, KH FF or Disnet characters and worlds.
1. Chapter 1

Full Circle

Chapter 1: New Orders

As the weary Sairu rose to a sitting position in his familiar bed in his familiar room, noticing that time had hardly ravished his personal sanctuary, he was greeted with a sight he never expected: to be with Genevieve, his closest friend in his own bedroom in his true home. The very thought made Sairu smile until he felt a sharp pain in his back. "Sairu" Genevieve said worriedly as she helped him sit in a more comfortable position. "You need to be careful. You're still recovering" she stated sternly which admittedly took Sairu by surprise, but he heeded her words, and kept his movements slow and steady as he rose to his feet. By this stage, he noticed his top half was bare, exposing his well-defined physique, and was dressed in black baggy trousers with the black boots he wore with the cloak he wore before...

Recalling how he fell unconscious before, he instinctively reached for the scar his last battle had given him, a thin, pink burn that ran from above his eyebrow down to his cheek. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he lowered his hand and turned to face Genevieve, both confused yet excited to see her. "I'll be alright now. Thanks, Gen" Sairu said gratefully, which earned him an affirmative nod from the now smiling Genevieve. "But uh... when exactly did you come here?" Sairu asked in his confusion, folding his arms. At this Genevieve's cheeks flushed a light pink as she looked at him, noting his stature with admiration before locking eyes with his and responded "I-I have only been here for a few months, b-but when I saw everyone fighting those Heartless, I thought you'd be with them, but they said you left. I... I was so scared something happened, and when you came back unconscious, I..." She paused as a tear ran down her cheek and she momentarily broke eye contact, before suddenly running at him and pulling him into a tight embrace. "I... I thought you... you were..." she struggled to say as she sobbed into his shoulder, which only made Sairu return the embrace with a small smile.

"Well, I'm here now. No need to worry" he said warmly, and for a minute, time seemed to stop as they held each other, and after they released each other, the door opened, and in walked a familiar face: the same emerald eyes that shone kindness and wisdom, long brown hair braided behind her, bangs framing her face, and abundant joy as Aerith ran at Sairu herself and pulled him into a tight embrace, but Sairu returned it in his lack of breath all the same. As soon as she let go, she locked eyes with her not-so little brother and said "Are you alright? When Master Yen Sid found you, you were out cold that we almost thought you-" "I'm okay, Aerith. A little sore, light-headed-" But as Sairu spoke, his stomach gave a loud rumble, causing him to blush in embarrassment as he held his stomach with a sheepish grin. "Well, put on a shirt and come downstairs. I'll make you something special" And with that, Aerith practically skipped out of the room, whilst Sairu scoured the room and found a light grey short-sleeved T-shirt.

Once dressed and ready, he and Genevieve made their way downstairs, with Sairu overcome with nostalgia as he walked down the familiar stairs into a familiar scene with familiar faces: Leon, looking as uninterested as ever, Yuffie, with some new clothes and practically bouncing off the walls, classic Cid with his trademark goggles and toothpick, and the wise yet surprisingly comedic Merlin the Wizard, and to Sairu's astonishment, a small brown owl perched atop the support beams overhead. As soon as Sairu entered the room, everyone charged to look him over and after breathing a sigh of relief, more bone-crushing embraces and a few noogies from Cid and surprisingly Leon, they bombarded him with questions about how he was, what happened, and being introduced to Merlin's owl, Archimedes, who was rather grouchy yet polite and well-mannered.

Once interrogation was over, Sairu moved to the back room, to a kitchen with a large round table placed in the centre and placed atop it, were a number of Sairu's favourite foods: chicken noodle soup for appetizers, Aerith's special stew with some mystery ingredients she never shared, topped off with his favourite dessert, soufflé and a jug of orange juice. And as soon as he sat down, he was greeted by another familiar face: a small, winged dragon proceeded to glide over and perch themselves atop his shoulder. "Sairu, you are alright" Lunar Bahamut greeted warmly, with Sairu giving his winged companion a firm nod in gratitude. "After your coma, you must be ravenous. Please, enjoy" Lunar Bahamut stated as he flapped over to rest on the table top as Sairu tucked into his food, which he regretted as he noted Sairu's obviously uncouth behaviour towards his food, but after what happened, he let it slide.

Once Sairu finished his banquet, he rose to take the plates for cleaning, but Genevieve insisted she would clean up, so he decided to leave her to it. "Well well, can't keep a good kid down, can they?" a voice spoke up and standing in the doorway, stood none other than Cloud Strife, dressed in all black, with a single sleeve on his left arm under a shoulder guard with a wolf insignia, and some sort of cape over his left leg as well. "Cloud, long time no see, pal" Sairu called happy to see the warrior again, with Cloud giving him a curt nod with a barely noticeable smile. "What are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you were working with Hades to find someone. What happened since then? Did you find them?" Sairu asked curiously. "Whoa, settle down. Cid brought me here about a year ago, after you guys left. I've been here ever since, waiting for him to find me... so we can settle the score" Cloud responded in his stoic voice.

"I see, so... Wait, have you seen Sora, Donald and Goofy? Did they wake up yet?" Sairu asked, realizing he must have been asleep longer than he thought. Cloud merely shook his head, and said "No, I didn't see them. But... they were here a short while ago, Leon said. Plus, now that I think about it, you got a visitor in the front room" "Who?" Sairu asked, genuinely curious. But Cloud smirked and turned away to walk out of the kitchen, at which an irritated Sairu gave chase and emerged in the front room to see a figure dressed in a black cloak,, but Sairu could tell by their size and the size of their ears who it was: "Your Majesty!" Sairu called, and as luck would have it, the figure lowered his hood to reveal said King Mickey, beaming a great smile as a happy Sairu walked up to him. "He he, glad to see you're back, Sairu. I was really worried about you, Riku and Naminé too" Mickey said. At the mention of their names, Sairu's high spirits deflated as he remembered them.

"Say, Leon. Do you mind giving us a minute?" Mickey asked turning towards him. "Sure. Come on guys" Leon ordered and on that note, everyone proceeded to walk out into the kitchen, leaving Sairu alone with King Mickey. "Sairu, there's a lot I gotta explain to you and I think you should hear this alone in case... they're listening" Mickey stated cautiously, as Sairu knelt down lower. "I got it. So, what's been going on? Cloud said Sora and the others were here a little while ago" "Yup, they're back and better than ever. I guided them to Master Yen Sid's tower, where he filled 'em in on what they've gotta do next, and they know about what happened to you. They were worried, but they knew you'd pull through" King Mickey explained at which Sairu nodded for him to continue.

"Anyhoo, DiZ and Riku brought Roxas back to Twilight Town and kept him in a data replica of the town until he was ready to return to Sora. It took some time and there were some problems, but only yesterday, Roxas and Sora became one again, and then they came here after seeing Master Yen Sid and paying you a visit. But then, everyone just up and disappeared; I don't know where they've gone or if they're alright. But, right now, I'm gonna need your help" "Why me, Your Majesty?" Sairu asked curiously. "It has to do with that Ansem fella you, Riku and Sora took care of and the leader of the Organization, and their connection to Ansem the Wise. Even if we defeat the other members of Organization XIII, there's still a big mystery about what they want now that Sora's awake, and I think Ansem will know the answer. So we've gotta find him whilst Sora, Donald and Goofy take care of the other worlds and keeping them distracted from what we're doing"

"But still, if all of that is true, wouldn't it make more sense for me to go look for Sora and stick with him like before? With my strength, I bet I could take down a member or two" Sairu remarked in rebuttal. King Mickey however shook his head and replied "I know you wanna help them, but of all of them, you're the only one who knows Ansem well like me. If we stick together and find Ansem, it will make it easier for us to talk to him. The information he has may be very important and it could help us to stop the Organization. For now, I'm going to need you to stick with me. Okay?" Mickey asked, and while Sairu's spirits were deflated at hearing this, he understood what his friend was saying and somewhat nodded reluctantly. After rising to his feet, Sairu then said "All right. But before we leave, there are some things I need to do" "Like what?" Mickey asked. "Having spent all that time lying down, I need to get my instincts back so that I can be ready for whatever we face. Plus, there's something I need to say to Gen before it's too late" "Alright, do what you have to. Oh, and your new clothes are waiting for you upstairs. I'd put 'em on if I were you" Mickey agreed, with Sairu heading upstairs.

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After a couple of minutes, Sairu returned downstairs in new clothes: a darker grey V-neck T-shirt unbuttoned on the neckline, black trousers with solid black shoes, and a navy blue jacket that was strikingly similar to Leon's in many ways, except for long sleeves and no fur neckline, as well as a series of pouches attached to the belt running the course of his waistline. As he emerged in the front room where Leon and the others were, he turned to Leon and with an exchange of nods, both proceeded out back accompanied by their family and Cloud. Emerging in a familiar training room, Sairu, Leon and Cloud all drew wooden swords from the number on display, Cloud's easily being twice as long as Sairu's and Leon's . Whilst everyone else stood against the wall watching, the three stood in a triangle, each adopting their respective battle stances, and after a moment of silence, Leon and Cloud both lunged at Sairu, who surprisingly kept his eyes closed at the beginning.

Dodging Leon's strike from his right, he then proceeded to block Cloud's strike with a single hand on his sword, and as soon as his eyes flashed open, Sairu had thrown Cloud's strike back and launched a retaliating strike that almost cut cleanly across the two, but both were prepared and blocked accordingly. After which, Leon prepared a spinning attack, and with Cloud circling behind him ready to charge forward, Sairu quickly leapt back, allowing his opponents to cross swords. Soon, recognising an opportunity, Sairu soon lunged at Leon with a powerful downward swing and quickly sent him staggering backwards and subsequently turning to face Cloud and block his attack from behind, and repeatedly struck him with a string of combos. However, his attention on Cloud gave Leon an opportunity to mount an attack from behind as well, leaping into the air like Sairu and pulling off an overwhelming downward swing of his own, which caused Sairu to stagger, allowing Cloud time to get some strikes in.

As he was forced to regroup to the window where he could watch their moves carefully, Cloud also took the time to mount an attack from the air as he leapt and primed his wooden weapon for the ground where Sairu stood, but Sairu took to leaping in the air to avoid it, only for Leon to charge at him in midair and send Sairu crashing into the wall. As Sairu proceeded to recover, Leon threw his sword aside, and gestured with his hand for Sairu to come at him, his stoic face locking eyes with Sairu's own. Sensing the challenge, Sairu also threw the sword to one side and as Cloud retreated to give them room, Sairu and Leon began.

Sairu threw perfectly aimed punches for flesh injuries only for Leon to continuously dodge and parry his strikes, but Sairu was prepared and leaping into the air whilst revolving a full three-sixty, he attempted to kick Leon from the side, but Leon quickly ducked and grabbed his leg to pull him down to earth. Sairu smirked however and quickly standing on his remaining leg, used his captured leg to turn Leon over and throw him to the ground. Lying on his back, Leon smirked before he performed a sweeping kick to try to knock him down, but Sairu easily sidestepped the kick but was not prepared for Leon using his free arms to propel himself into the air and strike with a double kick. The force was so great that Sairu fell backwards until Leon noticed Sairu's form rippling like water before fading completely. The real Sairu had in the meantime appeared behind Leon and gestured with an open hand near Leon's neck, suggesting a chop to the neck would have been his next move. Sairu instead lowered his hand whilst Leon turned to face him, smirking.

"Not bad for having been in a coma for seven days. I'd say you're back in top form" Leon stated proudly, as they clasped hands in sportsmanship. "Well done, Sairu" King Mickey chirped up proudly. "Now, I'll be waiting outside when you're ready" he then said, walking out the room whilst pulling his hood over his head again. After looking at everyone with confidence, he left for the main room, where Genevieve sat at Merlin's table, as she was never one for fighting, practice or not. "Hey, Gen" Sairu said as he approached her. Seeing him, she rose to her feet and asked "Are you alright?" "I'm fine. In fact, I've never felt better. Except..." he trailed off, as he looked away from her. Sensing something was wrong here, she then asked "What? What's wrong?" "It's just that... I never got to say... I'm sorry" "For what?" she asked, confused. "Don't you remember? There was something you said you were going to tell me, that day when I left with my friends to look for Kairi and Ienzo. But I took off without hearing what you have to say, and it was too late to apologize and settle down to find out what you had to say. I feel really bad, and... I honestly don't know if I will find the chance to tell you face to face"

After hearing his confession, Genevieve recalled that day, and she had been angry he left so fast, but when she was told why, she let it go, knowing he would go no matter what if it meant he could keep the promise he made her. "I-It's okay, Sairu, really. You made me a promise... a promise that Kairi and Ienzo would be our friends, the four of us together. When I remember the promise, I can never be angry with you because this was a chance to fulfil that promise. I... I'm just happy you're safe now" she stated, red cheeks blazing, looking bashfully away from him. Hearing this, Sairu's regret brightened and he smiled gratefully at his friend. "Thank you... I will see you soon, I promise that" Sairu stated as he headed to retrieve his sword, propped up against the doorway.

"Something feels different about this sword" Sairu noted as he held it, and as he looked closer, he noticed it seemed a more luminous white than before. "That was my doing" Lunar Bahamut stated as he flew to Sairu's shoulder. "I have endowed your sword with a sample of my power. That new power you were trying to attain before can now be accessed momentarily, as opposed to a prolonged use. Your body couldn't handle the strain before, but this approach is more suitable to prevent overexertion on our travels" "I was hoping you'd come. Think you could give us a lift?" Sairu asked, happy to know what his draconic companion implied. "Certainly" Lunar Bahamut stated as he flew outside, and in a burst of white radiance, had grown to his full size.

"Well, it's time to fly. Tell Leon and the others not to worry about me" Sairu stated, waving goodbye to Genevieve who returned it gratefully, and Sairu and King Mickey mounted their transport and flew into the sky, disappearing in a blink of light in the distance. As Genevieve watched the sky, Aerith approached her, following her gaze before turning to Genevieve. "He's coming back. I know he will" "Mm-hm. So do I" Genevieve heartily agreed. "And Gen?" Aerith then asked. "Huh?" "He will know soon enough. You just have to find the courage to tell him. Alright?" "Hmm... Yes. You're right"

**A/N: Here we go! Welcome to my next instalment of my series, Full Circle! This story took some figuring out on how to keep close to the original Kingdom Hearts 2 and still give Sairu a major starring role. But don't worry, I will be adding Sora and his journey alongside Sairu's as the story progresses. I hope you enjoy this story because I think it started well.**

**Please enjoy and review!**


	2. The Hun and Horns

Chapter 2- The Hun and horns

In the wreckage of what was once a peaceful looking village, stood a solitary figure that exercised malice with infinite ease, gazing upon the destruction with satisfaction and glee as a falcon soon came to rest upon his shoulder. Th man was of rather muscular build, dressed in a pale yellow coat on the left side blended with black over the right side and a single black glove on his left hand, wearing a large fur hood with two-like protusions dangling either side by his cheeks, which above presented a most eerie pair of eyes: orange irises with black sclera with ash-grey skin, with dark-grey trousers and black boots. As soon as the falcon landed upon his shoulder, Shan-Yu's face brightened into a malicious grin as he admired his example of fine art, whilst all the while unaware in a clearing on a nearby clifftop, protected from view by the thick bamboo shoots, stood an onlooker.

"See that, Mulan? That's Shan-Yu, leader of the Hun army! C'mon, girl. This is your big chance! I can see it now: "Fa Mulan whups public enemy number 1!" You gonna be famous! I'm talkin' A-list!" a dark shadow called, filled with excitement at the prospects for said Mulan. The figure watching Shan-Yu turned to face the draconic shadow and countered "Mushu, I'm not sure... I haven't even joined the army yet. I have to take my father's place to preserve the Fa family honor. I just hope I don't get discovered" "Whatever. You just scared- admit it" Mushu countered nonchalantly, only for Mulan to counter "Aren't you?" at which Mushu proceeded to hold his head in seeming exasperation.

Meanwhile, a familiar brown spiky-haired boy and his companions, a duck and a dog on two legs, passed by the scene and after glimpsing the shadow upon the rock, immediately suspected it to be a danger to the person standing there. "A Heartless?" Donald enquired quietly. "Let's get the jump on 'im!" Sora suggested, and in agreement, both Sora and Donald proceed, much to Goofy's insistence to think it through. "Gawrsh, maybe we better look before we leap" he called, but it was too late: Sora and Donald charged on heroically, drawing the attention of Mulan, but before they got any closer, a small red lizard leaps from behind the rock into their companion's arms and shielding themselves. Seeing this, Sora and Donald stop dead in their tracks, with Goofy walking up to them. "Is that Mushu?" Goofy enquired as he looked at the lizard. "That's right, I know you heard of me! I'm little, lethal and legendary! Now y'all scram before I get my dragon dander up!" Mushu exclaimed in prideful warning.

"Hey, Mushu! We missed you!" Sora called out, excited to see an old buddy of theirs. "Yeah, well you better HOPE I miss YOU, or else you're- you're..." Finally taking a real look, Mushu suddenly realised who they were "... Sora! Donald! Goofy!" he called, overjoyed. "Do you know them?" Mulan enquired, surprised as she turned around. "KNOW them!? Man, we used to kick all kinds of bad guy butt together! Yeah, you know, I helped these guys out of a lot of tight spots. 'Cause I'm a mighty dragon! Right?" he stated cockily as he leant against Sora's leg until Sora moved his leg letting Mushu fall to the ground as Mulan rose to her feet. "Something like that. And... you are?" Sora asked cheerily. "I'm Mulan. Um, no, I-I mean..." she stated, deepening her voice and trying to cover up her slip of the tongue, Mushu called out "Ping!" "Mulan Ping?" Donald asked in disbelief.

"Just... Ping. I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou" 'Ping' confirmed. "You know Mushu?" Sora asked curiously. "Mushu's one of my family's guardians" Ping answered as Mushu dusted himself off and stood on two feet. "We didn't know we were borrowin' somebody as important as a family guardian" Goofy stated in mild remorse. "Yeah, that's right!" Mushu perked up as he leapt up to Ping's shoulder and ranted "And that puts you three up to your eyeballs in debt to Ping here. Well, guess what, kiddies? It's payback time!" "Mushu..." Ping stated in warning. "Ah, they don't mind. Ain't that right?" "Hmm, sounds fair" Sora said. "See, Ping here was just on his way to join the Imperial army. We gotta go find the other recruits over at the training camp" Mushu continued. "Would you join us? It'll be easier to fit in if I'm with guys, like you" Ping added hopefully.

"What do you mean, "fit in?"" Sora enquired, bewildered. "Well, um, uh, don't- don't worry about that" Mushu hastily stuttered, but then Goofy came with a most interesting idea: "You're pretendin' to be a boy, aren't ya?" Hearing this, Sora and Donald looked at Goofy in perplexity, before turning to face Ping again, and realising Goofy was right, did a double take. "You're a... girl?" he stated, almost disbelieving it as Ping became bashful as a result of that outburst. "You didn't notice?" she enquired. "Uh uh" Donald said, shaking his head while Sora said simply said "Not me". "I think it's working" Ping then said, turning to Mushu, who wasn't too sure of this himself, coolly stating "I don't know- those two would fall for anything" "I'm right here!" Sora called out "Hey!" Donald said as the party made their way to the training camp down the hill.

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Meanwhile, Sairu and King Mickey were still mounted upon Lunar Bahamut as they travelled through the pathways between worlds. All in all, riding on a dragon was much different from Sairu's time in gummi ships: with no weapons mounted and little protection, he and King Mickey had to focus on long-range attacks and defensive manoeuvres to fend off the Heartless and Nobody vehicles that riddled their efforts through, even crossing paths with a Heartless vessel shaped like a haunted pirate ship, but focusing on the cannons and the strange wheel contraptions attached to the side, they obliterated the vessel and carried into smoother sailing from that point on.

Suddenly, Lunar Bahamut began to violently shudder as Sairu and King Mickey attempted to ask what the matter was. "Lunar Bahamut, easy. What's wrong with you?" Sairu asked, worried for his companion. "He... he's... watching us" the dragon gritted his teeth in agony. "Who is watching us? The Organization?" Sairu asked, but as the shuddering grew more violent, Lunar Bahamut stated weakly "The... the Horned King" Before he suddenly closed his eyes, and in a burst of white light, Sairu and King Mickey were sent flying towards the nearest world before them: a dark and sinister castle surrounded by a swamp to the west and lush forests to the east.

After the crash landing, an unconscious Sairu found himself falling through tree upon tree until he fell to the ground, hard. "Uhh... Now that's how to be shot out of a cannon, or perhaps atop a dragon" he stated to himself as he shakily rose to his feet again. Looking around, Sairu found himself caught in the middle of dense woodland, and found every tree looking identical to its closest companions, Sairu immediately concluded he was lost, and he could feel that this world was different, not one he had visited before. After getting his bearings, he then realised with a jolt of panic, that King Mickey was nowhere in sight, but was relieved to see Lunar Bahamut propped atop his right shoulder, albeit an ill-looking dragon companion. "Lunar Bahamut?" After groaning, Lunar Bahamut rose his weary head to lock eyes with Sairu's scarred eye and struggled to say "I'm just exhausted... Forgive me, but I must rest for the time" "That's OK, get some rest in my inside pocket" and pulling his jacket open, Lunar Bahamut gratefully slid into the welcoming makeshift bed and the glorious slumber he was yearning for.

Once he was secure, Sairu let go of his jacket and then said "Well, better start looking for the King" But he soon regretted speaking when he heard a strange cry emanating from his 2:00 direction and sensing danger, sprinted in the direction he heard it come from, and emerged into some sort of clearing, where he saw multiple familiar black shapes encircling a small furred canine creature with blue eyes shining of innocence and fear. Leaping over the ring of Heartless, Sairu immediately called the Lunablade to his hand and stood to shield the creature from the Heartless. "Master come back for Gurgi... Wait, you not Master!" he said excited at first, but saddened that his saviour was not his Master. "Don't worry, you'll be alright" Sairu said with a reassuring smile, ruffling Gurgi's fur with his free hand before turning to face the Heartless around them, and spinning his sword above his head, a white shockwave exploded around him and Gurgi, dissipating the Heartless all around in two waves of light.

Once the last of the Heartless were gone, Sairu dispelled the Lunablade and turned to face Gurgi. "Evil monsters gone! Gurgi saved!" Gurgi exclaimed gleefully and after jumping around, leapt up on Sairu and began climbing all over before pulling him into a neck-breaking hug and much to his disgust, a big sloppy kiss on the cheek before leaping to the ground. Wiping his cheek with his sleeve, Sairu uncomfortably stated "Sure, don't mention it" "You big brave warrior! But... look like Master, but without crunchings and munchings" Gurgi stated gratefully before his mood dampened at the mention of his 'master'. "Gurgi, who is this 'Master' you keep talking about?" "Oh, Master kind but stupid in head. Go to big dark dangerous castle, to rescue piggy wiggy" Gurgi explained, which caused Sairu to sweat-drop at the vague explanation he had been given. "Do you know the way to the castle?" Sairu asked, but hearing that, Gurgi seemed to shrink "You not listen? Big, dangerous, scary! You not come back, like Master!"

"Gurgi, don't worry. I've faced scary stuff before, and you don't have to come with me to the castle. Please, just tell me where I can find the castle, and I'll find your master for you, how's that?" Sairu offered with a handshake. After a while of contemplation, Gurgi looked to Sairu's kind smile and gratefully took his hand and pulled him further through the woods, until Sairu signalled to let go, and followed behind closely. For what seemed like hours, Sairu eventually noticed the trees thinning until they stopped to reveal a large castle perched atop a mountain surrounded by circling black clouds that seemed to pulsate with darkness, and what appeared to be demonic dragons circling the castle adding further to the dangerous feeling that Sairu had just looking at it, and he noticed Gurgi cowering behind him as if the castle were alive.

"Thanks, Gurgi. This is as far as you need to go" Sairu stated gratefully as he looked at the little creature who didn't seem to listen. Giving him one last ruffle, Sairu decided to continue on, but Gurgi's grip on his trousers prevented him from going further. "Please, not go in there! If Master no come back, you no come back either!" Gurgi pleaded despairingly, but noticing Sairu's gaze, Gurgi reluctantly released his grip and turned away. "Don't worry. Your master and I will return, promise!" Sairu stated with a nod of the head before turning to face the castle. 'Maybe King Mickey is over there... Please, let that be the case' he thought as he ran towards the castle, fire blazing in his eye. "Uh... what's gotten into you, Sairu?" Lunar Bahamut slurred as he rose from his colleague's pocket onto his shoulder. "Feeling any better?" Sairu asked as he ran, his pace slowing slightly. "Slightly, thank you for asking. But where are we headed?" the dragon asked but he found his answer as he turned ahead of them and saw the castle atop the mountain.

"What possessed you to go there? That is the Horned King's residence" "Who is the Horned King? But from how you were in the lanes before, I guess he must be very dangerous" Sairu asked, surprised. "Being clairvoyant is as much a curse as a blessing; 'what' is the better word to describe the Horned King. He is a malignant entity that promises misery and destruction to all those who oppose him. Even his allies have a healthy fear of him, if there are any that are not yet dead" Lunar Bahamut explained with a sombre tone of voice. "I get that he's powerful. The fact you're in the state you are in now because of him shows how powerful he is. But, that doesn't mean that he's invincible. If I have to, I'll take care of him myself. But right now, I have to find Gurgi's master and King Mickey. The castle's our best bet right now" "Hmm... very well, but only to find them. If we come face to face with the Horned King, we must flee. Understood?" Lunar Bahamut insistently stated. "Right" Sairu begrudgingly agreed as he arrived at the moat surrounding the castle, in front of the drawbridge. "How will we get inside? They're not just gonna let us waltz in" "Agreed. But I sense a great distress occurring at the top of that tower there" As they rose their heads higher, they then saw an object fall from the tower, a white almost-spherical shape but just before it hit the surface of the moat, it was revealed to be a pig, which caused Sairu to remember what Gurgi said about a 'piggy wiggy'. "Let's get up there" Sairu stated whilst staring at the tower. "Agreed" and in a flash of light, Lunar Bahamut became his original size and quickly climbing on his back, flew up towards the tower.

As Sairu took in the surroundings of the tower's peak, he saw an entire gathering of burly, dangerous-looking men alongside zombie like Heartless, a small goblin like creature with one eye larger than the other, and a young boy just a year or so younger than he was. Seeing the red hair of the boy, Sairu now understood why Gurgi thought he looked like his master. Knowing the danger, Sairu leapt off the dragon's back into the bedlam that awaited and landed safely between the small army and the boy they had come to apprehend. "Get them both, idiots!" the goblin called authoritatively, and as they came charging at the boys, Sairu reacted in time to send the men back, using his sword's power to repel them with a gravitational field; the Heartless were not so fortunate as the force of Sairu's ability was too overwhelming for them to stand.

However, suddenly, Sairu felt another presence behind him, and turning round, he noticed that Gurgi's 'master' was restrained by two of the burly men, one with a large sword and the other with a great axe. "Enough" a chilling voice called, and as the men parted to allow the new voice room, a dark hooded figure made his presence known. "Oh, S-Sire! We've got the pig boy!" the goblin cackled submissively, at which the Sire grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and stated coldly "But the pig escaped. And we have this new intruder in our midst. First, a small creature in black, now this boy with the white sword. You never cease to amaze me with your stupidity, Creeper" "P-Please, s-sire! I-I-I-It wasn't my fault-" Creeper begged under his king's tight grip before he was callously released.

"So I take it, you're the Horned King" Sairu stated as he rose his sword to said king. "Indeed... You are skilled with a sword, and you possess great tactical ability. I will overlook your intrusion if you agree to extend your services for my desires" "What? Join you!?" Sairu exclaimed in outrage, as he drew his blade higher. "Your reaction suggests you refuse my generous offer, but no matter... Kill the pig boy" Hearing this, the guards restraining said pig boy prepared to lift their weapons towards the boy's neck. "Wait! Don't touch him!" Sairu exclaimed in alarm as he lowered his sword and relaxed his posture. "Your compassion will be your downfall one day. But despite what transpired here, I will provide you with a new offer" "Like I'd ever join a monster like you!" Sairu retaliated angrily, but seeing the Horned king raise his hand warningly, he silenced himself. "No... I will spare this boy's miserable life... on the agreement you relinquish your sword to me" the Horned King snidely stated.

"Wh-" "Decide! Your sword... or your lives" Looking back between his sword and the pig boy in the guards' arms threatening him with their weapons constantly, Sairu was well and truly dumbfounded: If he gave his sword away, he couldn't continue his journey but would save an innocent life as well as give the Horned King new power to spread terror across the world. On the other hand, the death of an innocent boy resting on his conscience was of considerable discomfort even if he stopped the Organization in future. Scenarios swimming around in his head, Sairu realised either decision would mean great sacrifice, exactly what the Horned King wanted. Finally, he accepted the one decision he could feel was right: locking the almost hollow eyes of the Horned King with his own scarred eye, he casually tossed his sword to the ground towards the Horned King.

"Retrieve the sword" the Horned King ordered, leading Creeper to ecstatically grab it and present it to His Majesty. Gazing upon it, the Horned King directed his gaze towards Sairu and declared as he turned around "Take them both to the dungeons" Hearing this, Sairu protested by charging at the Horned King only for other men to grab him by both his arms. Without his sword, his powers were weakened to the point of non-existence. Despite his considerable strength, he knew it was pointless to fight back. "We had a deal" he futilely protested. "Yes... I negotiated your lives for this magnificent sword. However, I never said you were free to leave" the Horned King said finally before walking away with his trophy in hand and his subordinates at his heels. To ensure cooperation, both Sairu and the pig boy were knocked out and, after being thrown over their shoulders, were taken away. Unbeknownst to these men, however, a certain dragon slipped out and looking on sombrely, Lunar Bahamut gave chase, intent to help.


	3. Escape

Chapter 3- Escape

After the Horned King had taken his prize, Sairu and the pig-keeper, who he soon learned was called Taran, were thrown into the dungeon, the atmosphere perfectly fitting the architecture. Once the two boys had regained consciousness, each of them were fighting themselves in different ways: Sairu angry at himself for giving up his most treasured possession, whilst Taran was despondent over failing his duty to protect Hen Win, the pig that managed to escape. Much of their time in said dungeon was spent in silence, with occasional mumbling from Taran about doing it which for Sairu meant nothing. Sairu's thoughts otherwise went out to a missing King and draconic wingman, and when said thought flashed in his mind's eye, he realised what he was doing.

Standing abruptly, he proceeded to look around the gloomy dungeon searching for a clue, which eventually attracted Taran's attention. "What are you doing?" he asked, curiosity overlapping his depression. "There's got to be a way out. We just need to find something that can give us a chance" And as he walked around the dungeon, Sairu felt something in the air, a incredibly gentle breeze gliding through his hair, and then he discovered to his surprise, the draft was coming from below the cold stone floor beneath his feet, and as he knelt down to confirm his theory, Sairu then noticed underneath, what appeared to be a faint, blinking light. Sensing something was coming, Sairu backtracked to the wall near Taran, and as soon as he stopped moving, the stone slab he had stood on moments ago was pushed upwards and then to the side, as a small golden sphere rose from the opening, followed by a girl close to Taran's age.

As Sairu examined her, he soon felt uncomfortable, cheeks threatening to blush, his first time seeing a pretty girl in so long. She had flowing blonde hair held back with a violet band, a slender frame, fair skin complexion, wearing a pink dress with a lighter pink undershirt and a dark blue bodice with white sleeves and black shoes. After looking around in confusion, she soon clasped eyes on the two boys over by the wall, and the moment she and Sairu locked eyes, both proceeded to blush, but Sairu broke eye contact almost immediately, berating himself for his old habit. "Oh hello, nice to have normal people in this castle for a change" she said politely as she pulled herself out of the hole. "My name is Eilonwy, pleasure to meet you, um... oh dear..." "Oh, m-my name's Sairu. It's nice to meet you" "And I-I'm Taran" both boys stuttering as they introduced themselves. "So you're Sairu?" Eilonwy asked, turning in Sairu's direction as he stood up again. "How do you know my name?" Sairu asked, surprised and confused someone he never met knew his name. "Oh, they were looking for you. They were really worried. He's in here" Eilonwy called into the hole, and from the hole, emerged a small black figure that Sairu was glad to see, followed by his trusted dragon.

"There you are! Gosh, I've been looking all over for ya, but I never thought you'd end up captured" King Mickey stated as he approached Sairu with Lunar Bahamut flying to land on his shoulder. "Well, stranger things have happened, Your Majesty" Sairu responded, overjoyed at his reunion. "So where have you been?" "Sorry to worry ya, but I landed in this castle when Lunar Bahamut gave out on us. I knew this place was dangerous, so I've had to lie low and stay out of trouble, until I met Eilonwy on my travels. After getting her out of her cell, we decided to scour the dungeons when I heard you had been brought there and here we are" Mickey explained, whilst Sairu turned to Lunar Bahamut. "How did you find him?" Sairu asked. "By coincidence, actually. In this form, I have been able to stay hidden in the shadows and followed the men who captured you until I found His Majesty. Thus, we came to travel together in the tunnels below and the rest follows as the King explained"

"Okay, now that that's over, we should get out of here. But I need to get my sword back before leaving the castle" Sairu affirmed after hearing the explanation. "What? Excuse me, but I think our lives are more important than any old sword" Eilonwy stated cynically, earning Sairu's attention. "This isn't any old sword; why would the Horned King go through all the trouble that he did to get his hands on my sword? I traded it for our lives, and is just as important as my life or yours" "He's right, that sword is Sairu's only link to his past, and if we leave it here, the Horned King could use its power to conquer the world. Leaving the sword here will result in more harm than good for us all" Lunar Bahamut explained to Eilonwy, who after absorbing all that was said, reluctantly nodded in understanding.

"And Taran" Sairu said, turning to face the pigkeeper, which earned his interest. "Yes?" "We will find your pig when we get out of here, I promise" With an affirmative nod, Sairu turned to face the hole and jumped down without a second thought. Everyone else quickly followed, with Taran hesitantly bringing up the rear. Guided by the light of Eilonwy's trinket, the party began navigating the network of tunnels, with to their surprise, not a single Heartless roaming about. For Sairu and King Mickey, it was a much needed respite. As they continued, Sairu then began to sense something coming from ahead, a feeling that grew with every step until... "Sairu may I ask you something?" Eilonwy asked, as she broke his train of thought. "Yes?" he politely responded as he kept his gaze locked on the passage ahead. "Your dragon said that your sword was the only link to your past. What did he mean by that?"

As he processed her question, Sairu turned to her, with a sad expression on his scarred face. "It's a long story, but to keep it short, my home where I was born was destroyed, along with my parents. My father was the ruler of an entire nation of sorcerers, and that sword was forged for me on my birth, as something of a response to the magic I wield. But you see, with my people gone, as well as my mother and father, my sword and I are the only entities that remain. That's why... I couldn't imagine life without it. To honour my parents' memory, I wield the sword they bequeathed me to slay all evil that exists to destroy and hate". Hearing his short tale, Eilonwy was rather taken aback by the tragedy he experienced, but nonetheless, she then stated "I had no idea... I'm very sorry for what I said" she said, bowing her head in repentance. Seeing this, Sairu couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

"No, it's fine, really. You weren't to know about what I had to endure" Sairu replied sheepishly, before noticing it getting darker. Turning his face ahead, he saw that the bauble had flown into a hole ahead of them, and the light seemed to suggest that there was another room beyond. King Mickey approached this wall and with a single swing of his Keyblade, the wall collapsed, allowing passage into the chamber. As they entered the near cavernous room steeped in cobwebs in every nook and cranny, the strange feeling from before came back with a vengeance, and following his instincts, Sairu almost hypnotically approached the centre of the room with Taran closely behind.

Pulling the cobwebs aside, the two red-haired boys discovered a large sarcophagus depicting a statue of what was presumed to be a king, lying on his back in dreamless sleep, clutching a sheathed sword buried under years of dust and grime. As Sairu approached it, the enigmatic feeling was emanating from atop the sarcophagus, at which Sairu was inwardly relieved at the horrific task of desecrating a tomb. He thus concluded the strange power was from the sword, and as he brushed the dust aside, discovered a golden hilt encrusted with rubies and emeralds. "This is it" Sairu said as he carefully retrieved the sword from the statue's grasp.

"What is?" Taran asked, but was mesmerised by the sight of the sword in Sairu's hands. "When we were in the tunnels earlier, I sensed a strange power which gradually grew stronger until we entered this burial chamber. This sword seems to contain an ancient power of sorts. Not sure why, but whatever the case, this sword will be better off at our side than here in this dilapidated fortress" Sairu explained, and drawing the sword from the sheath, both boys became entranced by the magnificent blade that had been concealed in the sheath. "Hmm... This sword is in remarkable condition. Might be its magic to prevent wear, tear and rust" Sairu stated expertly, which took Taran by surprise.

"We're taking it with us, right? Seems a shame to leave it here" Taran asked as he gazed at the sword with an almost longing expression, before Sairu sheathed it again, and tying said sheath to the back of his belt. "Yeah. But I'm going to need it until I get my own back" Sairu stated before leaving to regroup with Mickey and Eilonwy. "Wait, can't I carry it for you? I've never seen a real sword like this before" Taran asked hastily. "There's no need, Taran. I would give you it, but without a sword, we're all defenceless. At least if I use it, we'll have a chance to escape" "Perhaps that's true. But..." Taran said, trailing off "Taran, once I have my sword again... this one will be yours" "You mean it?" Taran asked hopefully. "Yes, but there is something I want to ask you first" Sairu asked before turning to face him, locking eyes with him.

"What is it?" Taran asked. "What makes a warrior strong?" Sairu asked, eye contact holding strong. "Simple: a weapon that no one can-" "Wrong" Sairu stated simply. "What? But a weapon is what makes a warrior famous, right?" Taran stated defensively, until Sairu shook his head. "You couldn't be further from the truth. Warriors may hold weapons to do battle, but weapons do not make them heroes or fit for glory. Only once you understand the answer, will you truly be worthy of a sword such as this" Sairu countered. Seeing Taran's disappointment saddened him, but Sairu turned to join the others before silently slipping out of the chamber. Before they could go any further, the little goblin, Creeper, paraded by with a bulky shirtless man pulling a heavy load atop a cart, struggling with every step and as he ascended the steps, something slipped out of the bundle of blankets; an arm covered in a metal gauntlet before it passed through the door which closed behind it.

"Let's get out of here before they come back" Eilonwy whispered as the party hurriedly ran down past the door the man and goblin had passed through, until they heard a scream coming from a stairway etched in stone on their left. "Someone needs help" Eilonwy said worried. At this, Heartless appeared around them. "Taran, protect Eilonwy" Sairu said in a firm tone of voice as he drew the sword for the first time, just as King Mickey summoned his Keyblade. "But I want to fight" Taran retorted defiantly, but after seeing Sairu's cold gaze, silenced and brought Eilonwy under cover of the stairs.

However, before Sairu could draw the sword towards the nearest Heartless, he found his arm being pulled by the sword, and swung in a manner he had never pulled off: after striking down the Heartless, the sword proceeded to fly around, slicing through Heartless after Heartless, but with Sairu feeling like a grotesque attachment, eventually released his grip and the sword continued slicing through the Heartless until there were none left. For a time, it floated there, until Sairu gripped it in his hand again and returned it to the sheath. "Wow, that was amazing" King Mickey said, startled as he dispelled his Keyblade.

"Maybe, but I didn't do anything" Sairu said sounding almost disappointed that he didn't do the actual fighting. Once Taran and Eilonwy came out from under the stairs, Sairu turned to the group as a whole. "Alright. Here's the plan: Taran, Eilonwy, stay here and try to help the poor soul up there. The King and I will try and find my sword. Once we're done, head for the drawbridge and we'll bust out of here" Sairu said, acting like a leader of their group. "Sairu, as great as your plan sounds, I think I'd better stay behind and help them in case we get attacked by the Horned King's minions" King Mickey replied. "Alright. Either way, meet at the drawbridge and we'll get out of here" With those words, Sairu ran off down the corridor ahead of them, leaving behind his friends to help the prisoner.

As he ran, Sairu's frustration began to escalate as he found himself running down the same corridor three times, before feeling a slight pinch on his ear. "What is it?" Sairu asked whilst gritting his teeth in exasperation. "This will never work. Running in circles only builds up needless stress, and you have forgotten... the connection you share with the blade will lead you to it. Calm and collected is the essence of battle" Lunar Bahamut answered in evident wisdom. As he spoke, Sairu understood what he meant and after he stopped in his tracks, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. As he focused on the blackness around him, he suddenly found a flash of white coming from his left side, around the corner. Opening his eyes, Sairu knew where to go and practically flew to where he sensed it. Finding a doorway, he cautiously approached and saw in the darkness beyond, the Lunablade floating whilst emitting a faint glow.

"Seems like a trap..." Sairu said quietly, and after tip-toeing into the dark door, a yell rang out throughout the room. In the shadows around him, at least ten of the Horned King's men surrounded him, dressed in fur and carrying myriad weapons from axes to swords and spears. "I knew it" Sairu stated quietly and drew the magic sword from its sheath, but like with the Heartless, the sword acted on its own and began spinning rapidly, but then, Sairu grabbed it and through sheer force of will, Sairu swung at the biggest brute and knocked him out, and rapidly began assaulting the remaining brutes, and releasing his grip, began throwing punches and kicks while the sword flew around and slashed repeatedly. Soon, all of the beastly men were rendered unconscious, and returning the sword to the sheath, Sairu cautiously approached the floating Lunablade before him and as soon as his hand gripped the handle, a familiar sensation ran through his hand, instinctively telling him it was the real deal and not a fake.

Then, to his surprise, the magic sword strapped to his belt began emitting a strange aura and gripping it in his remaining hand, Sairu then noticed what appeared to be an aura emanating from the magic sword into the Lunablade. Once the aura faded, the Lunablade soon flew from his grip and proceeded to float in the vicinity of his hand. Surprised by this new development, as soon as Sairu swung his arm to the left, the blade followed. "What's happening?" Sairu wondered aloud, swinging his arm again to the left side with his blade following again. "So it seems... its power is awoken" "Huh? What do you mean?" Sairu asked, confused. "Just as the moon absorbs light from the sun to shine in the night sky, your blade has the power to absorb a fragment of a similar magical force. The sword from the burial chamber has a magic not dissimilar to your own, and thus, they resonated. This sword's magic allows you to control your blade from the vicinity of your hand" Lunar Bahamut explained.

"But how did you know that? Were you there when I was born or something?" Sairu asked, surprised by this revelation of a power even he didn't know about. "I was not, but your father, in his despondency, contacted me frequently and once brought the blade to me. As I witnessed my power resonate with its own, I could tell it gains the ability of magical forces it comes into close contact. Now that you know, let us flee this place" Lunar Bahamut urged and in agreement, Sairu nodded and raced out of the room, but as soon as he ran through what he presumed to be the atrium of the castle, he then noticed a tall wooden structure he recognised to be the drawbridge. And sure enough, at the base of the drawbridge, were Taran, Eilonwy, King Mickey and another that Sairu assumed was the prisoner they heard before.

Running up to them, he immediately untied the sheath of the magic sword and immediately passed it to Taran. "What are you doing?" Taran asked as he drew it. "Taran, that sword's our ticket out of here. Use it to cut the chains to lower the drawbridge. The King and I will hold them off, but you gotta hurry" Sairu stated in rapid fashion as he called his sword to his hand, and as soon as King Mickey appeared alongside him with Keyblade in hand, Heartless appeared alongside the beastly subordinates, led by Creeper the goblin and right hand to the Horned King. "Right" Taran stated and setting his sights on the contraption that lowers the drawbridge, set to work.

For Sairu and Mickey, fending off Heartless was easy as swatting flies, but like flies, began swarming again almost immediately. However, Sairu had planned for the beastly men by calling a field of gravity to surround them, repelling the advances of the beastly men and their firing arrows and hurtling spears, giving Taran cover for his task. Eventually, after the sword began to glow in Taran's hands, with an almighty swing, Taran cut the chains and the drawbridge came hurtling down with a thunderous crash. "Close the gates, you fools!" Creeper yelled, and at their second-in-command's behest, a gate came crashing down, but seeing this, Sairu and Mickey opted for the tactical retreat, following Taran, Eilonwy and the prisoner across the drawbridge, with said prisoner barely escaping the monstrous dog's teeth as they ran full pelt into the woods, until they were completely out of sight.

Finally reaching a clearing in the deep forest, everyone collapsed to catch their breath and Sairu became acquainted with Fflewddur Fflam, a bard by trade, though his words were accompanied by the snapping of the strings of the harp around his neck. Once they got their breath back, Taran approached him. "I think... I'm starting to understand what you said. I see now being a warrior is not about the weapon they hold, but I still need to think about what it really means. Will you be there to hear my answer?" Taran said hopefully as Sairu rose to his feet. "Yes, I will" Sairu said with a proud smile, and offered his hand, which Taran took in his own gratefully, whilst Eilonwy muttered something about boys, looking away in befuddlement. "Yes, I shall sing of your heroic deeds. You are quite the warrior, Sairu. I wish you luck on your journey, gentlemen" he stated warmly.

"Well then, I guess it's time to move on" King Mickey stated, and as if in response, the magic sword in Taran's hand began to shine a white light and floated into the air. At this, King Mickey's Keyblade suddenly appeared and knowing what to do, lifted his Keyblade to point up to the sky, where a beam of light streamed forth and into a Keyhole-shaped passageway. Once the light vanished, Sairu turned to King Mickey. "What was that?" he asked, as Lunar Bahamut enlarged to his original size. "A new pathway is open. So we can go on to other worlds to help out" "Right" Sairu confirmed and turning to Taran, Eilonwy and Fflewdur, gave them a final wave with a smile, which they all returned as well. With that, Sairu hopped up onto Lunar Bahamut's back alongside Mickey and in an almighty roar, tore off into the sky before vanishing in a blink of white.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, following an intense battle with the Hun leader himself, Sora, accompanied by Mulan, Donald, Goofy and Mushu watched as Shan-Yu finally succumbed to his injuries and collapsed, followed by an eruption of applause from the people gathered in Imperial Square. "Now that's what I call burning some hunny-bun! Aw, yeah! Mulan's the best! Mulan's the best! No, wait a minute- I'm the best! Mushu's the best! Mushu's the best!" Mushu cheered exuberantly as he ran and skipped in a circle out of joy whilst the party stood in pride. Soon emerging from the palace they had safeguarded, was the Emperor of China, accompanied by Li Shang, Captain of the training camp they arrived at previously.

The Emperor regally approached the triumphant heroes, but set surprisingly scornful expressions upon Mulan in particular. "I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan" he stated stoically. As he spoke, Mulan bowed her head in shame: "You stole your father's armour, ran away from home, impersonated an Imperial soldier. You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonoured your family name" "We get the picture..." Sora quipped disdainfully. "You're a young woman. And in the end... you have saved us all" he finally stated in gratitude, surprising Mulan, who as she rose her head, noticed the Emperor bowing his own head in gratitude, much to her surprise, followed by another eruption of cheers from the people in the Square.

After jumping for joy, she happily turned to face the Emperor, stating respectfully "Your Excellency!" "Captain Li" the Emperor ordered, and in immediate response, retrieved the now late Shan-Yu's sword and presented it to Mulan, who accepted it graciously. "Take this, so the world will know what it is you have done for China" the Emperor stated proudly. "Thank you" she responded, bowing in gratitude. "Mulan" Shang then said. "Sora. Donald. Goofy" he followed, earning their attention and clasping his hands together stated warmly, "Thank you". "'Thank you?' Is that all there is to say, Captain?" the Emperor quipped humorously, turning to the surprised Captain. "If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more eloquent than that!" he finished with a light-hearted chuckle, much to Shang's embarrassment.

In the midst of the laughter, Sora approached Mulan and joking asked "Can I get an autograph?" Turning to face him, face beaming with gratitude, Mulan said "Thanks for everything, Sora" to which he nodded affirmatively, whilst Mushu stated aloud "Now they GOTTA let me go back to bein' a guardian! They GOTTA!" "But Mushu, I thought you already WERE a family guardian!" a confused Goofy responded as he recalled what they said when they met. "What? Oh, no,no- don't even worry about that, that's just real technical. Just for us guardians" Mushu shakily responded, but the worst was confirmed when an outraged Sora stated "You tricked us!". At this outburst, Mushu began running as fast as his little legs would carry him, with Sora giving chase, until the sword in Mulan's hand began to shine a brilliant white light.

Hearing Mulan's gasp of surprise, Sora drew out the Keyblade, and with two hands, Sora pointed the Keyblade towards the ground, where light shone from its tip, and a light shaped as a crown emerged, surrounding Sora as the wind picked up. A beam of light erupted forth from Shan-Yu's sword skyward which transformed into a Keyhole, and turning his attention to the Keyhole above, a beam of light struck and in a flash of light, the Keyhole was gone. "Okay!" Donald called excitedly. "Guess it's about time to be movin' on" Goofy affirmed as Sora joined them. "You shall be missed" The Emperor stated in slight disappointment. "Is it okay if we come back and visit?" Sora bashfully asked. "Of course!" Mulan replied joyously, accompanied by Shang. "We will look forward to your return" Shang added. "You two play nice" Sora jokingly stated, immediately flustering the two before him. "Whoa... Watch it, soldier!" Shang hastily remarked as a satisfied Sora walked to rejoin Donald and Goofy. "Goodbye, Sora, Donald, Goofy!" Mulan called out as Mushu leapt up on her shoulders, chuckling. Continuing on out of the square, Sora and co. board the Gummi Ship and take off to new adventures and hopefully, old friends.

**A/N: And here we go! Sorry it took longer than the last, but been pretty busy with my course reaching a critical point. As I looked these chapters over, I realised this instalment will be my longest yet, and that my chapters individually will be longer as well, which I hope is okay with you guys. I'll get the next one up as soon as possible, but no promises at this stage. Enjoy and please review!**


	4. Rogues and Roses

Chapter 4- Rogues and Roses

Following their escapade from the Horned King's hellish dominion, Sairu and King Mickey continued flying through the Lanes Between on a steady Lunar Bahamut, until in the distance, Sairu made out a silhouette of a familiar palace: the palace of the Sultan, followed by the city of Agrabah. Seeing this world after so long brought back many memories from his first journey with Sora and company. "Over there. Agrabah would be a good place for Ansem to hide out, don't you think?" Sairu asked. "Hmm, it's possible, but I can't sense any real danger right now. Let's check it out all the same" Mickey pondered aloud. "Got it. Lunar Bahamut, Agrabah, please" "At once" With those words, in a flash of light, they immediately found themselves within the skies of the city. As they flew towards the palace, Sairu couldn't help but notice something seemed different as they landed. Once his feet touched the ground again after flying on a dragon for so long, he soon realised the area around him was now more open than before when the street to the palace gates was shabbier and constricting. Whilst it still appeared to be rather shabby, evidence of construction still lay strewn about them, discarded tools, boxes and crates, bottles and lamps scattered everywhere.

"This area of town seems rather shabby. Why would they leave their tools just lying around?" Sairu asked, examining a trowel before his answer was found, as a stream of fire erupted forth to his right, and leaping back, Sairu found himself face to face with a Large Bandit Heartless, followed by smaller sword-brandishing Heartless dressed in yellow. Running to regroup with Mickey, the two friends drew Keyblade and Lunablade alike. Lunging at the smaller Heartless, a single slash from the Lunablade dispatched them easily, but the Large Bandit demonstrated something new as it decided to fall forward on its stomach and slide towards Sairu, but King Mickey countered quickly, his Keyblade shining with white light as it sent their foe skidding back until it collided with the wall and dispersed, its heart floating away into the sky.

Once the Heartless were gone, Sairu and King Mickey returned to one another. "Now we know why no one is around. Looks like the Heartless are still causing trouble" Mickey said, dispelling the Keyblade. "But Jafar was the one who controlled them before. Since we sealed him in that lamp, how come the Heartless are still here?" Sairu asked King Mickey. "Welp, I'm not sure exactly, but Master Yen Sid once told me that as long as folks have darkness in their hearts, the Heartless will always find a way to return to take those hearts and create more of them" "Oh, so everything we did before, including defeating Ansem was all a waste of time?"

Sairu stated, saddened by this revelation. "Not at all. Since Sora sealed many Keyholes in your last journey, these worlds can't have their hearts stolen anymore, so they're safe. Plus, with Ansem out of the way, there's no one powerful enough to command all the Heartless, so they're scattered around with no master" Mickey said reassuringly. "Makes sense, I guess. So what next, shall we head to the palace?" Sairu enquired, satisfied with King Mickey's answer. "We might as well. Gotta make sure everyone's alright" Mickey replied in agreement. "Yo, Sairu! Is that you?" a voice called, and hearing footsteps running towards them, Sairu turned and almost collided with Aladdin. Sadly, poor Abu atop his shoulder was sent flying into Sairu's face, knocking him off balance until they crashed together into a nearby stall.

Once the stand ceased collapsing, a dazed Sairu laid there with Abu, and then, to add insults to injury, a large pot then landed on Sairu's head. "Whoa, that was rough. You guys okay?" Aladdin stated apologetically as he helped his old friend up. "Yeah, no worries. It's been a long time, Aladdin" Sairu stated comfortingly as he dusted clay dust off his shoulder whilst Abu leapt back on Aladdin's shoulder. "I'll say. Look at you all grown up" Aladdin grinned as he looked his old friend over. "Too bad I can't say the same about you" Sairu chuckled as he exchanged playful banter with the former 'street rat'. "Aladdin, this is King Mickey, he's the king of Donald and Goofy" "Hiya, Your Majesty" Aladdin introduced himself with a bow, at which Mickey attempted to shrug it off. "Heh heh, there's no need for that. Just call me Mickey; any friend of Donald and Goofy's is a friend of mine"

"Gotcha. So, where are those guys, and Sora too?" Aladdin asked, turning his attention to Sairu. "Well, you see, after we left, some things happened and we had to go our separate ways. I'm sure we'll see them soon" Sairu answered truthfully, whilst Aladdin nodded in acknowledgement. "Anyway, it's probably a good thing you're here. I was just on the way to the palace. Apparently, some thieves have entered the city and are looking at invading the palace and hoarding the treasure there. I got to warn Jasmine and the Sultan, and if you guys are here, this could make our job that much easier" Aladdin explained in a hopeful tone. "I'd be glad to help. What do you think, Your Majesty? It would help them out a lot, and the guards will probably struggle with the Heartless on the prowl" "Of course. Then let's head to the palace" Mickey stated affirmatively, and together, the trio make their way to the palace.

Once they arrived in the palace gate, Sairu taking in how different the gates appeared to be from the last time he was here, he then discovered Jasmine in the distance. "Jasmine, I'm back" Aladdin said, earning his beloved's attention. "There you are, Aladdin. Oh, Sairu, it's wonderful to see you again" she said as she noted his presence, at which Sairu smiled and nodded. "Likewise, Your Majesty" Sairu stated warmly as he bowed, much to Jasmine's embarrassment. "Hello, Jasmine. I'm Mickey" Mickey stated politely as he too bowed his head. "There's no need to do that. We are all friends here, aren't we?" "I find that hard to believe" a gruff new voice suddenly spoke up and emerging from the palace, two men appeared; one was a tall, well-built bearded man dressed in a black shirt, white trousers, curled shoes, a turban, and a sword placed in the belt on the left side of his waist. The other man was smaller in stature, dressed in cream coloured attire, a large white beard and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Stand aside, Princess, Your Majesty. They are clearly part of the band of thieves that are roaming the city as we speak" the tall gruff stated coldly, eyeing Sairu with obvious disdain. "Hold it, you got it wrong, Razul. These are my friends" Aladdin protested, Abu screeching his own protests, but Razul took no heed as he drew his sword and pointed it at Sairu's neck. "Now, just a minute, Razul. What evidence do you have to suggest this boy and his mouse companion are thieves in the first place?" the other man stated with stern authority. "From his outburst," Razul scathingly stated towards Aladdin, who looked away in annoyance "he claimed this boy and the mouse here are friends of his. Even if they aren't street rats, their clothes are different and his complexion suggests too little time exposed to sunlight. These signs point to one conclusion: travelling bandits in disguise. We cannot afford to let our guard down, Your Majesty" Razul attempted to counter, but one look from the small man silenced him and he reluctantly returned his sword to his belt.

"Sairu, I take it" the smaller man enquired in kindness. "Yes? How did you know my name, sir?" Sairu queried, taken aback. "Jasmine has told me much about how you and this brave young man here stopped Jafar's evil ways long ago. I have only one thing to say to you, young man: On behalf of the people of Agrabah, I thank you and your friends" he stated gratefully as he lowered his head to Sairu. "Father, there's no need to be so elaborate with him" Jasmine said humorously. "Wait a moment… if this man is your father, then that must mean you're…" "The Sultan of Agrabah, my boy" the Sultan stated jovially. "My sincere apologies. I had no idea" "Now, now, save the formalities. You are honorary citizens of Agrabah, and you have helped save my daughter's life. You are friends to all in Agrabah".

"Oh, of course. Changing the subject, Your Majesty, Aladdin has something he has to tell you" "Oh of course. What news do you have, my boy?" the Sultan said, turning to Aladdin who approached closer and replied "It appears the rumours are true concerning the thieves. They're operating within the city limits as we speak. With your permission, I would like to dispatch them from the city with their assistance" "Now wait! Matters concerning the Sultan and the Princess directly, including potential threats, are to be dealt with accordingly by the palace guard" Razul protested. "Well then, by all means, come along. If it's your duty to protect the royal family, then why should we deprive you of your chance to serve and protect them?" Sairu stated nonchalantly. "Outsiders like yourselves have no business in the affairs of Agrabah. Even if you did save us before, why should I trust the likes of you?"

"Alright, then. Go it alone. Just watch out for the Heartless while we kick back" Sairu then quipped, dodging the question, and signalling a wink to Aladdin, the latter then said "You know, Sairu's right, Razul. This could earn you favour with the Sultan. Can you imagine how famous you could become if you saved the city from thieves and Heartless?" Aladdin casually remarked. "Oh I bet he'd become more famous than me. I only stopped a corrupt vizier and vanished without a trace. Nothing on tackling crooks and monsters" Sairu piled on, while Razul pondered what they were saying, his suspicion and fear growing. Become a hero by fighting monsters or die trying? Suddenly, the prospect of actually dying sent intense chills down his spine and then concluded "After careful deliberation, I feel my services are best suited at the palace in order to scout out any thieves that may wander towards the palace" Razul stated matter-of-factly, but his trembling lip gave away his relentless fright. Seeing this, Sairu smiled and winked at Aladdin, who began stifling his laughter.

"Very well, then. Aladdin, you and your friends are to scout the city for the thieves and ensure those infernal Heartless are taken care of" the Sultan stated with the utmost confidence. "Razul, Jasmine and I are counting on you. Do not let me down again" the Sultan warned. "Y-Yes, Your Majesty" Razul stuttered. Meanwhile, Sairu, King Mickey and Aladdin gathered and Sairu said "Where do we start? I'd have thought splitting up would be an option. I can fly on Lunar Bahamut and do some recon from the sky. Aladdin, you and the King can scour the streets for Heartless and these thieves. What do you think?" "Not bad. Covers all our bases. What about you, Your Majesty?" Aladdin asked, to which King Mickey replied "A great plan. Meet back here at the palace gates when we finish?" "Right" Sairu and Aladdin affirmed simultaneously, and with an extended arm, Lunar Bahamut emerged from Sairu's sleeve and in a flash of light, had grown to his full size. Mounting his back, Sairu tore off into the sky overhead, whilst King Mickey and Aladdin ran to the streets.

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After the fall of the Hun in the City, Sora, Donald and Goofy come across an unfamiliar castle and decided to investigate. Landing the gummi ship outside, the trio enter the imposing fortress, to emerge in a dimly-lit entrance hall, a staircase that forked ahead, to the west and the east, and a pair of doors on either side. After the doors closed behind them, the inspection of the room made Sora wonder aloud: "Hey, what is this place?" "It's huge!" Donald stated in surprise. "And sorta gloomy, don't ya think?" Goofy added, turning to his two companions. "I wonder who lives here" Sora's wondering continued until, a beastly roar echoed thunderously around them, taking them all by surprise. Once the roar ceased, Goofy realised something as the trio recovered from the shock: "Hey, does anybody else recognise that?" As the same roar thundered through the room again, Sora, absorbing this, realised Goofy was right: only one person they knew roared like that: "Hey! That's the Beast!" "Yeah" Donald stated in agreement.

"Maybe we should check up on him" Goofy suggested, but then, Sora noticed a shadow practically zooming across the ground behind them. Recognising the shape, Sora said "Look!" as the shadow travelled to the furthest door on their right. "C'mon!" Donald called, and on that note, the trio gave chase and entered the passageway, into a smaller room, with a cosy fire crackling in the far side fireplace, adorned with portraits, purple drapes in the contest, and in the left corner, a peculiar rose floated within a glass case, emitting a strange glow, whilst Donald looked around, unable to see the Heartless they chased into this room. "Where did it go?" Donald queried before his eyes fell on the rose on the table holding the rose. Drawn to it, Donald hypnotically approached it until a Shadow emerged between them. "Wak! Found it!" Donald called as he jumped in surprise. As if on cue, more Shadows began erupting from the ground, encasing the three friends, who drew their respective weapons and began disinfecting the Heartless.

However, they soon realised that for every Heartless they smacked down, another would step up in a second, after they were locked in the corner with the strange rose. "Aw, c'mon, enough already" Sora feebly remarked, whilst Donald called "Somebody help us!" Once he called, the doors were thrown open and stepping into the room, to Sora, Donald and Goofy's relief, was their old friend, the Beast, and he was furious. He soon began throwing Heartless with no effort as if they were ragdolls, and once they were gone, approached the corner where the rose stood. "Just in time!" Sora called cheerily, but then to his surprise, the Beast swept Sora aside with one sweep of his claws, and Donald and Goofy with his other claws, both instances without so much as batting an eyelid. He then approached the rose, anger melting into relief as he picked up the rose, and then proceeded to walk out the room entirely, without a backward glance.

"Gee, do ya think he maybe forgot who we are?" Goofy wondered aloud as they watched him leave. "With this may Heartless around, something must be up" Sora stated in agreement. "Why'd he have to do that?" a bitter Donald stated as he rubbed his cheek. After concluding there was a need for further investigation, the trio emerged back into the Entrance Hall. Donald, who suddenly felt the feathers on the back of his neck stand on end, felt something else in there, and turning his attention to the stairs on his right, saw a figure standing there, but being too far away to see in a dimly lit room such as that, Donald wasn't able to make out who it was, except it seemed like a woman, but then noticed said figure retreat up the stairs, out of sight. "What is it?" Sora asked, having noticed his friend's attention was elsewhere.

"I just know I saw a lady at the top of those stairs…" Donald replied, and as all three turned their attention to the top, not a soul was in sight. "Well… If the Beast is here in the castle, that lady musta been Belle, right?" Goofy reasoned. "Yeah, maybe so. Belle might know what's happened to the Beast, too" Sora said in agreement. "C,mon! Let's go find her!" Goofy declared, and after nodding in agreement, the trio forge ahead, contending with the new forms of Heartless, including one littered in spikes, another with a twisted lance-like weapon, and even the gargoyle statues located across the hallway came to life. Emerging into a long hall, down the end, a single door stood on the right near the corner. Thankfully, no Heartless were in sight, so they decided to take it slowly and quietly.

As they walked nearer to the door, Sora turned to Goofy and with his finger on his lips, signalled quiet from Goofy with an abrupt "Shhh!" at which Goofy clammed up with his hands over his mouth. As they tiptoed to the door, they heard Belle's voice as she despondently wondered aloud "What am I going to do?" Signaling to the door with his finger, Donald and Goofy understood what Sora was indicating. Donald then proceeded to walk away from the door, and turning to face it, he simply stated "Okay" before charging at the door with full speed. "Donald!" Sora called hurriedly, to stop him, only to be too late, but much to their surprise, the door opened seconds before Donald collided only to fall face first into an extravagant bedroom. "Hey! Who opened the door?" Donald stated annoyed. As soon as he got his bearings, Belle herself, bearing a surprised but happy expression, stated cheerily "Oh, I'm so happy you're here!"

As she said those, she immediately scooped up Donald into a tight embrace, said duck futilely flailing as she held him close. "Donald!" And then she noticed the other two standing in the doorway. "Sora! Goofy!" she stated in glee. "Hiya!" Sora said as he and Goofy entered the room. Before long, she could hear Donald's protests of "Put me down! Put me down!" and immediately consenting, lowered Donald to the floor again as his pupils swam wildly in his eyes, dizzy from the experience, much to Belle's embarassment. "It's wonderful to see you again. Oh, but where's Sairu?" Belle stated as she stood straight, noticing only three instead of four. "Oh…. Well… Sairu's… uh…" Sora trailed off, finding himself unable to explain what happened without hurting her feelings. "Sairu's out there, looking for his best buddy. We'd have gone with him, but we got separated when we woke up some time ago. But no worries, he's okay and kickin' Heartless to the curb as we speak, I just know it" Goofy cheerily spoke up at the right time. "Oh, I see. I hope he finds his friend" Belle responded content with Goofy's response.

After breathing a sigh of relief, Sora immediately turned to Goofy and whispered "Nice one, Goofy" "You bet" Goofy stated with a wink that went unseen. Once that was over, Donald, having recovered from his bear hug earlier, asked "Where's the Beast?" "Oh, he must be in the west wing. We don't talk like we used to" Belle said sadly. "Did something happen?" Sora then asked. "Yes. Isn't that why you're here?" Belle then asked in turn. As Donald and Goofy turned to Sora, all the Keyblade master could do was shrug his shoulders. "Not exactly. But we can still help!" Goofy affirmed honestly. "Since we're here and all" Sora agreed. "The Beast won't talk to you?" Donald then asked. "He's been acting strange lately. The only ones who might know why are locked up in the dungeon" Belle explained as Donald and Goofy paid attention.

"I want to help them, butt…" Belle trailed off. "Wait a second. Who locked who up?" Sora asked, confused over her statement. "The Beast locked up his servants" Belle clarified. "But why?" asked an equally baffled Donald. "That's what I don't know" Belle responded. "Hmm. Where's this dungeon?" Sora asked. "You can get to the undercroft from the west hall. The dungeon is down there" Belle replied. "West hall. Got it" Sora confirmed. "Be careful!" Belle pleaded as she held her hands together, only for Sora to reassure her with a thumbs-up, and turning to Donald and Goofy, the three make their way to the west hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Achoo!" Sairu sneezed as he rode atop Lunar Bahamut looking down on the city of Agrabah below as their search continued. "What is wrong? You aren't starting a cold, are you?" Lunar Bahamut asked as he flew. "No, someone must be talking about me somewhere. Not to mention I felt a shudder just moments ago, yet I don't feel cold even if the wind is stronger" "Hmm… Superstition is everywhere, it seems" Lunar Bahamut mused to himself, and then, turning his attention towards the bazaar below, he noticed a flock of people charging towards the streets where they landed. If it weren't for the fact they were brandishing swords and heading in the same direction all at once, they never would have noticed. "Sairu, they're on the move in the market area of town" Lunar Bahamut called as Sairu followed his gaze, and noticed the group as well. "Ok, let's go" Sairu stated and in silent agreement, the duo fly down towards the marketplace.

**A/N: Et voila! Here is the next chapter of Full Circle, and again, I apologize for the random updates. Things are at a crucial point in my work right now, but in a few more weeks, I should have some more free time on my hands. If you'll bear with me, I'll update again soon. Please enjoy and review!**


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